MT1810 January 2016 Test Solutions

1. Let P (n) be the predicate 2n ≥ n2 .

(i) (base case) P (4) is true because 24 ≥ 42 .
(ii) (induction step) Let k ∈ N, k ≥ 4, be fixed and assume that P (k) is true.
Hence 2k ≥ k 2 .
=⇒ 2k+1 ≥ 2k 2
=⇒ 2k+1 ≥ k 2 + k × k
=⇒ 2k+1 ≥ k 2 + 4 × k (since k ≥ 4)
=⇒ 2k+1 ≥ k 2 + 2 × k + 1 (again since k ≥ 4)
=⇒ 2k+1 ≥ (k + 1)2 .
Hence P (k + 1) is true. By the PMI, it follows that P (n) is true for all n ∈ N,
n ≥ 4, q.e.d.

2. (a) −23 = −8 × 3 + 1, so the quotient is −8 and the remainder is 1.

(b) To show that f3 is surjective, let y ∈ {0, 1, 2}. Choose x = y. Then
x ∈ Z and f3 (x) = y, as required.
The function f3 is not injective because f3 (0) = f3 (3).
(c) We have m/2 ≤ r < m
=⇒ m ≤ 2r < 2m
=⇒ 0 ≤ 2r − m < m as required.
Now 2n = 2qm + 2r = 2qm + m + (2r − m) = (2q + 1)m + (2r − m),
which together with the above implies that 2r − m is the remainder on
division of 2n by m.

3. (a) The relation defined by x ∼ y ⇔ (x, y) ∈ {(0, 0), (1, 1), (2, 2), (0, 1)} is
reflexive, transitive and not symmetric.
(b) Choose x = 0, y = 1/2, z = 1. Then x, y, z ∈ R and x ∼ y and y ∼ z
but x 6∼ z. Hence ∼ is not transitive.
(c) The equivalence class is a straight line in the first quadrant containing
the points (1, 1) and (2, 2) and excluding the point (0, 0).

4. (a) Writing 1 instead of [1], the multiplication table is

× 0 1 i 1+i
0 0 0 0 0
1 0 1 i 1+i
i 0 i 1 1+i
1+i 0 1+i 1+i 0
(b) Let x = y = 1 + i. Then x, y ∈ R4 and xy = 0 but x 6= 0 and y 6= 0.
Hence R4 is not an integral domain.
(c) The ring R4 is not a field since 1 + i has no inverse. Alternative answer:
R4 is not a field because it is not an integral domain.